Chief Secretary to government, George Mkondiwa has clarified that Vice-President Saulos Chilima has not been stripped of his responsibilities as minister responsible for disaster response management, public events and chairperson of civil services and public services reform commission in the newly reorganised cabinet announced by President Peter Mutharika.

Cordial: President Mutharika and vice president Chiima

In the cabinet announcement, which was released through the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), Chilima’s ministerial portfolio was missing and that led to conclusion he had been stripped of his role.

But Mkondiwa issued a statement posted on Malawi government website on Saturday that Chilima—who is not known to hold any position in DPP national governing council as he joined politics after Mutharika picked him from private sector to be his running mate in the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections— remains a minister in a lean team of 20.

Nkondiwa said in the statement that “further to the announcement on some changes to the cabinet on 7th April, 2016, I wish to advice that His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, State President, remains Minister of Defence and Commander-In-Chief of the Malawi Defence Force and Malawi Police Services.”

The statement adds that State Vice President Chilima whose corporate world experience promotes adherence to job description or portfolio has also ministerial duties.

President Mutharika Thursday reorganised his Cabinet, dropping only Thyolo South-West Member of Parliament (MP) Allan Chiyembekeza, who served as Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, and redeploying several others to other ministries. The President also appointed one new face, Lilongwe City West MP (DPP) Agrey Massi who has been appointed Deputy Minister of Defence replacing Reverend Malison Ndau who has since been promoted to Minister of Transport and Public Works.

Sacked Chiyembekeza was replaced by George Chaponda as Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development from to Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation where Francis Kasaila, the DPP spokesperson has been moved after being replaced by Ndau at Transport.

During the cabinet reorganisation, eight Cabinet ministers were not moved around by the President, they include Goodall Gondwe (Finance, Economic Planning and Development), Henry Mussa (Labour, Youth and Manpower Development) and Kondwani Nankhumwa (Local Government and Rural Development).

Mulanje West MP Patricia Kaliati is now Minister of Information and Civic Education taking over from Jappie Mhango. Kaliati was moved from Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Kaliati replaced by Jean Kalilani as Mhango takes portfolio of Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security which was held by Kalirani.

@5 Nambewe, while I am not totally in support of Samuel Larwa views, I find your views very much wanting and jejune. So for you, the MPs, ministers and indeed the state president their job stops at making policies? And going by your kitchen thinking as your name suggests, the general citizenry automatically should take over and work hard etc, not so? If I may ask, have you ever assumed any leadership position, which I doubt? If by any act of accident you happen to be a leader then no wonder we are what we are. You may wish to know that leadership positions ought not to stop at policy formulation. It extends to inspiring and motivating the people you lead. And the best tool to inspire the people is walking the talk. In other words, you can’t expect an automatic stop on stealing by the general citizenry when it’s evident that political leaders are in the fore front with the vice. People like you who think that leadership is as simple as a remote control process are the very reason Malawi is in this socioeconomic mess. Any society with leadership that doesn’t lead by example cannot have motivated and hard working citizens. Leadership shapes public mindset.

Developing Malawi is the remit of Malawians. Your lack of understanding your self by suggesting that replacing some minsters will see Malawi develop!

The mind set in Malawi is wrong. MPs, Politicians policy makers are just leaders but if we all genuinely wanted to develop Malawi we would help these leaders to achieve what their policies are aiming to achieve. You keep blaming Mutharika! Why don’t you stand for president and see if you will do better? Tell Malawians to stop stealing! stop being lazy! stop being negative! then Malawi will move forward! Politicians don’t wave a magic wand to develop a country its hard work and commitment from the likes of you!

Useless reshuffle!!! Peter need to understand Malawians this time. We have some people better qualified in Malawi today that if incorporated in to cabinet things can simply change for the better. Remember what I wrote you when you was minister of justice in Bingu era. DPP is below civilization model because of the die hard members who only eye for winning cheap political goals and power and focussing little in uplifting living stadards of its own people. Bingu was a focused visionary leader but the same people entrusted to die in cabinet as observed in this questionable reshuffle, made him a tyrany, and upon realizing the truth obout the fate people faced on the ground, he died tragically out of regret. Nkondiwa is only exercising his test powers on chilima. Its better he work hand in hand with chilima to overhaul the entire civil service and forget about concentrating on senseless political gestures of state house dictation.